The Paradise Center has until August to raise support

With the recent sale of the Tidewell building and subsequent rent increase, the nonprofit has until August to raise funding to relocate.


The Paradise Center, located at 546 Bay Isles Road, has until August to raise funding to move to a new space after its rent went up under new ownership.
The Paradise Center, located at 546 Bay Isles Road, has until August to raise funding to move to a new space after its rent went up under new ownership.
Photo by Dana Kampa
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The Paradise Center, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting lifelong health for community members, faces a crossroads. It must either raise enough money to relocate, raise potentially even more money to stay at its current space, or close its doors.

Executive Director Amy Steinhauser said the board met Wednesday morning to discuss the consequences of the recent $2.1 million sale of the building where it is housed, along with Tidewell Foundation headquarters on Longboat Key and several other entities.

Longboat Key resident Tom Simonian purchased the property in a sale that closed March 18, and he told the Observer earlier he saw the purchase as a good investment given the location.

Steinhauser said the board had hoped to work with the new owner to continue operations, but the rent is now too high for The Paradise Center to afford.

She said leaders are grateful for a lease extension until Aug. 30, which otherwise would reset in June. However, that only gives them months to figure out how to raise enough money to move forward.

They're not giving up, though.

"We feel like it's high time that this organization is recognized as the community hub on Longboat Key," she said.

The Paradise Center began 15 years ago as an outreach program through Longboat Island Chapel, then called the Aging in Paradise Resource Center. It continued to grow, and for the past five years, it has been serving the community at its current location, using its event space to host educational lectures on grief, qi gong lessons, bridge matches and many more activities.

The center is appealing to the town of Longboat, Sarasota County and other supporters to help carry forward with its mission.

Finding a new base is no small task with ever-increasing rent across the island. But Steinhauser said The Paradise Center team believes in the importance of their work to keep Longboat Key residents informed, physically fit and able to enjoy its social activities, all of which contribute to lifelong wellness.

She said the center would ideally prefer to stay in its current space, especially considering many of its patrons are senior residents who appreciate its proximity to their homes. But the center would need the backing of a large donor to do so.

Steinhauser, former Executive Director Suzy Brenner and board members said in a letter they hope the town will step up to support the center in keeping it afloat.

"We serve hundreds of people each month in a welcoming, accessible setting," they wrote. "We are not theoretical. We are here, every day, doing the work and making a measurable difference."

Steinhauser said the center is still organizing all its fundraising efforts, but it does hope to work with The Louis and Gloria Flanzer Philanthropic Trust, which matches donations to a certain point. Members plan to launch an official fundraising campaign by June.

She said the center will continue to support its subtenants with extended leases as long as it remains.

The Observer could not immediately reach Simonian for further comment.

 

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Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.

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